132 UNDERDRAINING AND DERP TILLAGE. 



of moisture, as they readily would do in well drained soils, and the 

 whole plant is dwarfed in its growth ; perhaps its growth ceases 

 entirely. If, at the early Spring, the roots had been allowed by a 

 fit soil to strike deeply downward, then at the time of drought, it 

 would have had no difficulty in obtaining the moisture which is al- 

 ways present at a greater depth. Thus underdraining prevents 

 the serious efl'ects of drought, by strengthening the plant for the 

 emergency. 



The deepening of the soil itself, caused by drainage, is another 

 way in which this is produced. The increased porosity of the soil 

 which has been alluded to assists in this respect, because finely di- 

 vided particles of soil retain the moisture which a coarser one would 

 not. AVater is held by attraction between minute particles of soil 

 when it would speedily escape from a less fine material. Since 

 underdraining comminutes the subsoil and the surface soil by the 

 admission of air as we have seen, such land will be more retentive 

 of its moisture than than that which is not underdrained. Drain- 

 ing also assists, very materially, in times of drought, by rendering 

 the soil more capable of attracting and absorbing moisture from the 

 dews of night. Upon well drained land dew is absorbed and re- 

 tained, when upon undrained soil it would not be. Ey these means 

 the farmer can guard against drought so that it is only fair to say, 

 that to some extent, he conquers it. One of our farmers, Mr. Nuurse 

 of Orrington, who has underdrained a large portion of his fum, 

 stated (as quoted by Mr. French in his "Farm Drainage, p. 285.") 

 " during the drought of 1854, there was at all times sufficient damp- 

 ness apparent on scraping the surface of the ground with the foot in 

 passing, and a crop of beans was planted and gathered therefrom, 

 without as much rain as will usually fall in a shower of fifteen min- 

 utes' duration, while vegetation on the next field was parching for 

 lack of moisture." Tims by underdraining can we not only gain 

 several weeks in our working season, but we also, besides the other 

 advaiitages mentioned before, prevent in a great measure, this fear- 

 ful calamity. 



We come now to treat of the construction of drains — the materi- 

 als used, their depth, direction and distance asunder. Having, per- 

 haps, already extended this paper to an objectionable length, our 

 remarks will be brief and concise, yet as comprehensive as possible. 



